Captain EJ's rocket is a cardboard box. His best friend is a bear named Space Bear. The destination is the moon.
That's the premise of How to Fly to the Moon in a Cardboard Box, the first book from Kardboard Kids, written by Emmanuel Threatt and illustrated by Brian Blackmore. Emmanuel is also a co-founder of the Charlotte nonprofit Hope Vibes. The story plays out inside EJ's imagination, with a rhythmic pattern, comic-book panels, bright colors, and diverse characters. The cliffhangers are small and kid-sized: does he have everything he needs to make it, and will the rocket survive in one piece?
Parents get something, too. The creators packed in hidden throwbacks from the '80s and '90s, so the grown-up doing the reading has a scavenger hunt of their own. They say they made it to spark imagination in kids and nostalgia in adults. One reviewer noted that imaginations can reach the moon, but bedtime still shows up.
It's a 26-page hardcover, 8 by 8 inches, for ages 4 to 12, published in January 2020. The creators say more books are on the way.
Check your supplies. Blast off.
